Students sends legal notice to Justice Katju for his 'idiot remark'

LUCKNOW: First year LLB student Tanaya Thakur and her brother Class 11th student Aditya Thakur have sent a legal notice to chairperson of the Press Council of India (PCI) Justice (retired) Markandey Katju for his statement that 90% of Indians being idiots, published in various newspapers on Sunday.

The duo have said in the notice that being average citizens of India, they were deeply hurt and humiliated by Justice Katju’s words. The two further added that Justice Katju’s statements would deprecate the reputation of India and its citizens and a person of Justice Katju’s stature should have deliberated on the implications before making such a remark. They have asked Justice Katju to issue a public apology within 30 days, failing which they would move to the court. Addressing a seminar in Delhi, Justice Katju had on Saturday reportedly said that 90% of Indians are idiots who can easily be misled by mischievous elements in the name of religion. He also said that a communal riot could be incited in Delhi for as meagre an amount as Rs 2,000. Further, he said that all somebody has to do is make a mischievous gesture of disrespect to a place of worship and people start fighting each other. He said that `mad people' l start fighting without realising that some agent provocateur is behind it. Katju had also said that before 1857 there was no communalism in the country but the situation was different now. "Today 80 per cent Hindus are communal and 80 per cent Muslims are communal. This is the harsh truth, bitter truth that I am telling you. How is it that in 150 years you have gone backwards instead of moving forward because the English kept injecting poison. The policy that emanated from London after the mutiny in 1857 that there is only one way to control this country that is to make Hindus and Muslims fight each other,” Katju was quoted as saying in the newspaper reports.